, 1887-12-08

an united effort be made at the COM
ing session of Congress by the differ
ant Pacific States TO secure justice
for their citizens in this regard.
think the suggestion is a good one
| lave some information on this sub
iect which will be of use III prepar-
ling Il memorial, and which L shall
submit to your committee at the prop
er time.
%. An act of congress approved
March %, 1887, provided for the es-
tablishment of agricultural experl-
ment stations in the different states
aud territories. BY this bill an al
lowance of fifteen thousand dollars
was allotted to each state and terri
tory, and the results provided for
would have been of the greatest BEN
eft to the agricultural interests of
the country. The bill was, however,
unfortunately defective, in that, as
decided by the Comptroller of the
currency, it failed to make an appro-
priation to carry out its provisions.
| In order to lessen the chances of this
bill overlooked at the current session
of congress, suggest that a memor-
ial be sent to Washington requesting
| its re-enactment l can furnish your
committee a copy of the law If de-
sired
3rd. There is very little doubt
that the Chinese restriction act Is be
ing evaded by numbers of those OBJ
jectionabIe people crossing our north.
ern boundary by land or arriving at
different Puget Sound ports on small
sailing vessels. 1 mentioned these
facts in my report to the sec
retary of the Interior, and recon-
mended the amendment of the re-
striction act in the interest of greater
efficiency. g. memorial from your
honorable body would receive great
er attention than the report of
single officer; l believe, therefore,
that the interests of this common
wealth would be subserved by such
memorial.
4th The ultimate permanent
emancipation of the people from high
freight rates will occur when the
thousands of miles of navigable
livers fortunately possessed by the
Territory are opened to free naviga-
ton. Congress has inaugurated the
process, bat the work is slowly done
on account of insufficient appropria-
tions and the excessive conservatism
of the United States engineers. /
believe that memorial on this SUBJ
ject would, by showing the deep in
terest felt in this subject by our
people, be of much service in induc-
ing the Federal government to be
more liberal in the application of |
funds to this desirable end. l can |
furnish your committee with much |
valuable information on this topic if |
they request it.
5th The settlement of large part |
OF this Territory i5 retarded by the |
doubts that exist in regard to land |
titles by various constr uctlons placed |
upon the laws granting lands to rail |
way corporations. A birds eye view |
from the summit of Steptoe's Butte,
in Whitman County, will, l am told,
disclose the limits of the Northern
Pacific railroad grant, by the line of |
Improvement The blighting effect |
of placing large asras of the public
domain under the control of one man
or of one set of men is illustrated in
striking manner by this object les
son. Not only are the lands that are
in dispute affected by the blight but
those that are not in dispute are be
ing held at high prices for speculat-
i've purposes to the detriment both of
the people and the stockholders of
the railroad company. The poorer
people for whom the public domain
was originally intended are unable to
take these lands, and the railroad
company is deprived of the carriage
of the products of the soil, which
would in few years. amount to as
much as the value of the land. I
think it probable that when these
lands are made tc bear their proper
ton of taxes, the disposition to hold
them will not be so strong. [ suggest
that it would be proper for your
honorable body to use its influence
by memorial to Congress on the side
of some speedy adjustment of the
question of titles. The country is
interested in having the clouds re-
moved, in some Way at once.
In conclusion, gentlemen of the
Legislature, l beg to assure you of
my hearty cooperation in the work
now opened before us, and I trust
your honorable body will be consid-
crate enough to fix reasonable limit
before the final adjournment after
which no new business may be intro
duced. so that this Office will be en-
abled to give due attention to all
matters laid before it.
We should all keep constantly in
our minds the motto 1.-The good of the
people is the supreme law"
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
EUGENE SEMPLE,